Home of an elderly couple riddled with buletts

Tonight there are very reliable indicators of a possible resurgence of the bloody gang warfare which marked Belize City as a danger zone. Things had cooled off noticeably since the brutal executions of four George Street lieutenants in January 2013. But recently there have been several brazen gang-related shootings, the latest reported on Monday night on Supal Street. Jason ‘Soup’ Williams is said to be the leader of that gang; he was shot in the leg very close to home. Police haven’t gotten around to issuing a release on the incident so there are few details, but the evidence, and word on the street, suggest that there was a crossfire between rivals in that area. The bullets only grazed Williams, but they tore into a small home on Supal Street. Today Mike Rudon spoke to longtime residents who say that they could easily have been killed by the bullet which entered their home.

Delvith and Norma Retreage have been married for fifty-four years. They’ve lived here on Supal Street for forty of those. Monday night, death came looking for them in the form of random bullets which hit their home. One penetrated the window and actually entered the home.

Norma Retreage, Resident of Supal Street

Norma Retreage

“I was inside…not on the verandah but inside of the house here…watching TV. And I hear the gunshots gone off, and I hear one of my windows gone like that (noise on window)…and I said well that one which caught my window. But I didn’t open up and come out to see anything. Until a little while after that I decided to open this part of the window and look out. When I looked out is when I saw the Police out here and the whole crowd out here. I didn’t know because I was afraid to open up, you understand. We shut up the house early so I was afraid to open up. So after that I decided that something must have happened, but I didn’t know that something had bored the window, I didn’t know. I was not on the verandah or I probably would have been shot.”

Street sources tell us there was a cross-fire between rival gangs, and one of the targets was this man, Jason ‘Soup’ Williams. He was grazed only…and appeared unfazed today. But Delvith and Norma are still shaken by the incident.

Norma Retreage

“I was so frightened and that’s why I usually close up early. Because there are so many shootings all the time, I said let’s close up. But this one I know hit the side of the house because of this (hits window). When it touched that I could hear it plain, so I was wondering where the shooting came from. But when I looked out I could see the Police over in the field, and I said it was probably from over there, because there wouldn’t be any other shooting around here.”

This is the bullet which entered the home. It penetrated the window and hit the inner wall before falling to the floor. We were told that Police didn’t visit the home, and so the bullet remains there as an unwelcome souvenir.

Norma Retreage

“I just find the bullet down there, right there. I didn’t even know it was a bullet. Because I have the children sometimes playing with little things, so I said it was something like that. So I took my foot and I knocked it out…that thing that was there. I didn’t know that was a bullet, because I don’t even know how a bullet looks. I don’t know. But one of the young men found it down there and said that’s the bullet. At least we were not on the verandah, or that shot could have gone through us. But probably the wall stopped it from going inside…because it bored there…see how it bored there.”

The couple has seen a lot in more than a half-a-century together, but this is an experience they would prefer not to repeat, one which will give them many sleepless nights waiting for more gunshots to ring out.

Norma Retreage

“I don’t feel safe at all. I don’t feel safe. I get frightened. When the Police were here I felt okay, but after they left I just hoped that nothing else would happen…but nothing else occurred after. Everything eased off after that.”

Delvith Retreage

Delvith Retreage, Resident of Supal Street

“I feel that they’re coming back…I hope not.”

Delvith and Norma Retreage live alone. Up to when we left at midday Police had not visited their home. Mike Rudon Reporting for News Five.

Up to news time police have still not released any information on the shooting on Supal Street.

Viewers please note: This Internet newscast is a verbatim transcript of our evening television newscast. Where speakers use Kriol, we attempt to faithfully reproduce the quotes using a standard spelling system.

1 Response for “Home of an elderly couple riddled with buletts”

Mr Dean Barrow…………what the #$%& are you doing to stop the volience in Belize? This is my Mom and Dad and its your #$%^*&((& responsibility as Prime Minister to ensure the saftey of the citizens of Belize. Your family is NOT in danger so you DON’T give a #$%&* DAMN ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE CITIZENS OF BELIZE. This corrupt UDP administration don’t give a $%&* about the safety of Belizeans…..all they care about is selling passport and making themself richer. I AM VERY FRUSTRATED AND ANNOYED WITH THIS CORRUPTED UDP ADMINISTRATION.